The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-03-18
UGLY ELEPHANTS,
BIG BRUTEs CREATING DIS
1URBANCES IN SHOWS.
Romeo, the Most Trcachcrous of All
Circus Elephants-Other Ele-
plants That Are Always
Ripe for Mischief

Dut Always Dad, and his attendants never
knew when his big trunk was coinq 10
swing at them with the force of a batter.
ing ram. He considered every man who
travelled with the Forepaugh show his
born enemy. He had special dislike TO
Adam Forepaugh, ST., and never lost an
opportunity to attempt the veteran show
mans life. Whenever Mr.. Forepaurh
went near him he would make n swine at
him with his trunk or thr1 W at him the
first missile he could find. When the
show came to Philadelphia to winter
Romeo had to be chained in the middle
of big room alone, out of reach OF the
sides aud top. His chains had to be fas-
tened to post anchored about ten feet
in the ground. His hind legs had to be
fastened with chains stretched obliauely
out and back from him.
Whenever an especially violent fit OF
temper seized Romeo it was necessary TO
throw him aud beat him into submission.
The throwing was accomplished BY fast
ening block and tackle TO the chains on
the hind legs and drawing those mem
bers up under his big body until he was
Z compelled to let himself down. Once
/ down he was chained tight and held,
/ while dozen men would surround him
and thrash him tn roles until h
trumpeted enough" 1t frequently
took ten hours to beat him into submis-
sion, and he was often kept lying on the
floor for three or four days before he
would give in.
The last seven years or his life Romeo
depended on one eye to guide his ele-
phantine way through life. The other
was shot out by his keeper, Stuart Cra-
ven, one day in the fall OF 1868, on Ridge
avenue, Philadelphia, after Romeo had
broken down the brick wall of the
animal house at Twenty third street and
Columbia avenue, the old Ridge Avenue
Street Railway Depot, where forepaugh
was wintering. Romeo took a notion to
wander, and after raising merry war
among the other animals he butted down
the brick wall of the house and started
down the Ridge. Stuart Craven fol
lowed him with shotgun and empted
about 4 pound of shot into ROmeo's
leather hide. One load took effect in one
of his eyes and blinded him, and at the
same time conquered the big brute so
that he allowed himself to be driven
back TO his gu rters.
In the fsll of the same year Forcpaugh
was showing in the National Circus
Building, at Tenth and Callowhill |
streets. Romeo was kept in a portion Of
the building where he could reach the |
roof with his head. One day he took it |
into his big head to get bad" and he |
drove his keeper and everybody else out
of his quarters and kept them out for |
n1r-t
master of the situation, and as soon as
anybody would attempt TO go into him |
he would work himself into 4 fury and |
try to break his chains in the eiort to
get at them. He raised the roof of the |
walls with his head and burst out por-
ton of the side walls. His water had TO |
be handed to him on the end of n pole, |
and if the attendant dared to show any
portion of his body Romeo would grab |
the bucket and let fly. His keeper, |
Stuart Craven, dropped a $500 diamond |
ring on the floor of Romeo's stall Just |
before he got the spell. and it lay there
iRcRl ssight f2g r., fill Meek before he
A couple of years later Romeo killed |
an attendant called Canada Bill' at |
Marlboro, Pa, by throwing him against
a wall and then getting in front of |
him and kneeling upon him. Mr. Fore
paugh put him in a car TO ship him from |
Girari. Pa, to Philadelphia, and before
the train had gone twenty miles it was
discovered that Romeo was irving to
become a train wrecker. lie smashed
the top and sides of the car TO splinters,
and, when he got tired of that, began to
rock the car until it was in danger of
topping from the track. lie had to be
unlOaded and driven to Philadelphia BY
his keeper elephant George, -" an at
tendant, wai nearly drowned by him
while riding across river on the ele-
plants neck. Romeo Owed three times
In the attempt to drown George, who
was rescued Just in time by the other
people of the show, who went after him
in boats
Romeo died in Chicago in 1872 from
lockjaw, caused by the sores made on
his ankles by the shackles. His skele-
ton = row mounted in the College of
Surgeons and Physicians in Chicago. In
his time he killed three men and
destroyed $50, COZ worth of property.
Empress, of the O'Brien show, that
killed the painter White at Forepaugh's
winter quarters two years ago, is almost
as wicked an animal as any that travels
She can never be trusted, and constant
watchfulness is required to keep her from
doing damage When she has one of
her bad spells on her it is not safe for
anybody to 90 near her She knocked
down and nearly killed man when the
circus opened the season in Philadelphia
in 's4 at Broad and Dickinson streets,
and there are a number of neOplc
throughout the country who remember
the Black brute because of the bones she
has broken with the vigorous swing of
her trunk
Bismarck, now with the John Robinson !
show, is another treachcro1s brute with
a bad record. About three years ago he
killed John King, well known elephant I
trainer and performer, by butting him {
against the end of a car at Charlotte |
vile, Va c
Golddust, one of the performing ele- |
plants with Forrpau=h's elephant |
Band, requires constant watching to |
prevent him from doing damage. In the {
summer of 1891 he disembowcled a man t
in Worcester, Mass, with a stroke of his i
tusk. Last season he was rented to b
Frank Robb'ns's show. At one of the
show stands Golddust got loose and got I
into the woods. Craig. the bcss animal 0
mar. went to bring him in and nearly s
ost his life for his rashness in going 2
Alone. As soon as Craig got near the {
elephant the latter rnshed at him, and a
with a swinging blow of his trunk p
Knocked him senseless Fortunately for n
himself Craig fell between the trunks of c
| clump of trees, and the angry monster II
could not reach him, and he was res Il
,ued without serions damage. Il
Pickaninny, the little clown elephant, 81
Known all over the country on account n
If his funny performances with the
,lown, Charlie Mccarthy. was perform
ne at Slocum's Minstrels several weeks
Igo and kept his temper well enough IN
il the last night, when he took notion
o play the bad elephant. He started by
Ii H.